Events Manager

A Bethesda-area company is seeking an Events Manager who will work primarily on behalf of a regional professional membership association. The Events Manager will manage the planning, promotion and execution of a diverse portfolio of conferences, educational programs, networking events, meetings and a large annual trade show. The Events Manager will work closely with staff, volunteer committees, venues, vendors, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors to deliver successful events that advance organizational goals and provide meaningful value to members. What Makes this Role Different The Events Manager will simultaneously manage multiple events and meetings at different stages of development. This is a highly hands-on position on a small, collaborative team. The Events Manager will not hand off each phase of an event to separate marketing, production, registration and project-management departments. The successful candidate will be able to see the full portfolio, establish priorities, anticipate competing deadlines and move comfortably between big-picture planning and detailed execution.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the full lifecycle of conferences, trade shows, networking events, educational programs, and meetings, proactively moving each event from initial concept and budgeting through execution, evaluation and financial reconciliation.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans covering programming, marketing, registration, sponsorships, logistics, materials, staffing, volunteer assignments and finances; establish priorities, anticipate future needs and identify risks or potential delays before they affect an event.
• Serve as the primary staff liaison to assigned volunteer committees by preparing focused agendas, timely meeting materials and staff recommendations; facilitating decisions; producing accurate minutes and action items; and ensuring responsibilities and deadlines are understood and completed.
• Engage volunteers in meaningful assignments, maintain accountability between meetings and help identify and develop future committee leaders while balancing volunteer ideas with organizational priorities, budgets and staff capacity.
• Coordinate work across a small team, establish clear ownership, maintain an accurate, centralized record of decisions, deadlines and event details, and personally execute cross-functional work as needed.
• Research and coordinate venues and vendors; evaluate proposals; assist with contract negotiations; and manage banquet event orders, floor plans, menus, audiovisual requirements, production schedules and other logistical details.
• Develop, monitor and reconcile event budgets, revenue projections and expenses; evaluate the financial implications of event decisions; and provide leadership with timely reports and recommendations.
• Manage or oversee event registration, attendee records, exhibitor and sponsorship administration, invoices, communications, event materials and fulfillment of contracted benefits, ensuring information remains complete and accurate across all platforms.
• Develop and execute event marketing and communication plans, personally preparing promotional emails, website and registration content, social media posts, attendee communications and other materials while ensuring information is timely, accurate and consistent.
• Lead onsite execution, including staff, volunteer, vendor, speaker and venue coordination; resolve issues calmly and decisively; analyze event results and feedback; and document recommendations, procedures and lessons learned for future events.